Ain't-a That Good News!

So last Tuesday was the first Mahler rehearsal. This is the small select choir that is going to sing at Carnegie Hall in NYC in October. Oh man I wanted to be a part of that. But if you were reading back in Chautauqua, you know the first cuts came out and I was not among them. But I believe in positive thinking. . . . of visualizing myself surrounded by the conditions I wish to create. So for the past week, as the first rehearsal was approaching I was walking around the house saying out loud: "I will be chosen. It doesn't matter that tonight is the first rehearsal. He will listen to the chosen chorus and realize that he needs me." Then the first rehearsal came and went. And the message changed to: "Not to worry. Someone will drop out. I can see myself standing on the stage at Carnegie Hall. He would be a fool not to pick me. . . ." Then the next rehearsal, this morning in fact, was approaching. So I abandoned my pacing the living room and went with Sandy out to Clifton Forge yesterday to see Mary Hannah and her new granddaughter. We had a nice lunch and came home. CF is about 1 1/2 hours away, so this was a day-long adventure.

And I got in the house. . .and the message machine was blinking. . . . . and it was Norman saying that he needed me for Mahler!!!!! YEEEEE HAAAAAAAAA!!! And he didn't expect me to make it to this morning's rehearsal, which I didn't. But I did practice the music for a long time today. It's a different part from the one I sang when we were in London, so it will be a challenge. But I am so excited. And now I'm going to pace my house saying: "Of course this house will sell for full price. The right buyer is going to come along, love it, and offer me what I'm asking." Hey. . . it's worth a try!

Today I was showing one of my trainers the new house and I met my next door neighborhood. And joy of joys. . . she's a woman my age, very outgoing and friendly. . . works at UVa. . . and is delighted that I'm moving in. Maybe this is the neighbor I've always wanted.

I've sold the washer/dryer in the new house, and a woman is coming tomorrow to buy one of the sections of kitchen cabinets over there. I'm selling off my stuff to raise money for New York.

Tonight I drove to the charming Batesville store for Blues night. So much fun hanging with the locals, drinking a beer and listening to live blues music at its best. This is turning into an amazing life. . . that's all I'm saying.

My Crappy Little House

Well, I've been saying I wanted a crappy little house, and now I have one! And here it is! I have settled quite a few houses in my day, but if you pay cash, the settlement takes 5 minutes!!! Who knew?????? And I walked away with about 5 sheets of paper instead of a 25 pound box of paper. Wow. Of course, if I'm going to pay cash, we're not talking about a show house. But someday, this will become my own little showplace. I'm excited about the project.

I celebrated by having my smoked trout salad at the Lovingston Cafe. As a special occasion splurge I had dessert! Yum.

Then, drunk with power I decided to go have a pedicure. . . I mean, what the hell? So I went to Waynesboro where there is a PetSmart because Chester was nearly out of his "senior" Milk Bones. So I got those and went to my pedicure place. Unfortunately, my arrival was such that I got the only guy in the place. It would not be using any creativity on my part at all to refer to him as "The Man With the Dragon Tattoo." Yep, right there on his arm. It would have been okay, I think, except that he seemed inordinately smitten with the program on television. . . The Disney Channel. . . . Zack and Cody, the Suite Life. Highbrow stuff to be sure. And to complicate the matter, the tv was situated behind him over his right shoulder. So he was performing the pedicure with his head turned almost completely around so as not to miss a scintillating moment. I mean Zack (or was it Cody) was trying his hand at making sushi with utterly madcap hilarity. So I guess I could understand that when this guy was trying to scrub the callous off the bottom of my foot that is was really not his fault that he went off the target and literally scraped the skin off the side of my foot, causing bleeding and not a small amount of pain. Of course he didn't notice. . . after all Cody (or was it Zack) was involved with some slapstick of his own. Great stuff. So when the scrubber came back around and then scrubbed on the top of the part that was already bleeding, I just figured it was time for me to speak up.

Well, he was apologetic, and actually, a little too quickly for my peace of mind, grabbed some blue liquid he keeps on hand for just such occasions. He asked if it still hurt, then went back to watching the tv while he was doing the all important leg massage. Luckily, except for a scab, there is no sign of inflammation or infection today. You never know with these places. So the moral is, I guess, if there's a dragon tattoo on the arm, and Disney on the TV, go somewhere else for your pedicure. My toes look good, though.

All of that was yesterday. Today, Sandy joined me at the house and we sat under the trees and celebrated the house that was to be. We would have sat in the kitchen, but the cigarette smell was too strong. . . . . . .Hmmmm. There better be a beautiful purse under this sow's ear. . . .That's all I'm saying.

Living on the Edge!

By noon tomorrow, I will officially own two houses! All the paperwork somehow got done, and I rushed to two different banks this afternoon to secure the funds. Now I'm busy planning the party that I will have where we meet in the house and paint or mark up all the walls. Should be fun.

Cancelled my Kennedy Space Center trip, due to the fact that the shuttle launch has been postponed to Nov. 1. Not sure if I'll make that given my choir rehearsals. But if I don't get to do that, I can live with it.

I thought I had a house showing today so I left with all lights on, fans running, etc. Everything spit spot. But my realtor called later to say that the showing agent got mixed up and wanted to show one of my realtor's other listings. Oh well.

Ran across some piano music in a box today, so I have been having a great time playing my piano for the first time in years. Mostly Bach. I'm so glad to have the piano and to be able to get that part of my life back! I'm not sure how Bach feels about it, however.

Took myself to the Batesville Store tonight for a small supper and live blues music. One of my trainers plays bass in the blues band. Saw several of my gym friends there. It's fun to have a venue like that so close by.

So, as a real estate mogul, I would say that for the next few months, or until this house sells, less is more. . . . . Here's to tighter belts and the first steps towards living smaller materially, so that I can live larger experiencially!

Good News and Bad News

On regular days, I'll be brief. Who wants to hear the details of my life anyway. . . . .

1. Good news: I will be a full member of Choral Arts for one more year. And I may still be considered for the Mahler performance in New York at Carnegie Hall in October. I'll know that by the end of the week. I was sort of getting used to the notion of not being in the choir, and planning what other neat things that would free me up to do. But finding out that I've been included in the final years for Norman when several of my good friends were eliminated is bittersweet, but gratifying.

2. Bad news (relatively speaking. . .this still isn't "bad news")My house was shown for the first time today but the people did not think it would suit their needs. How easy it would have been, and how couterintuitive to what is happening around the country, if I had struck gold on the first try. Ah well. . . . . . .

I am so lucky to love where I live and do what I do. Even being home from Chautauqua, I'm happy to be back in Nelson County and looking forward to each new day and the possibilities that exist every day. It was great to be working out again this morning, and wonderful to help my friend Kathy dismantle her Art exhibit in Charlottesville. I picked up Chester and gave him a bath. . . always an adventure. And I managed to pick up after myself all day. Maybe this is just what I need as I await a sale. . . . .

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy Jog

And in the blink of an eye, I'm sitting at my computer at home, listening to the sound of the dryer going round and round. And yes, it's 97 degrees out!

Uneventful drive. Listened to the remainder of my book on tape: Paul McCartney, A Life. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about Sir Paul. However, it did make the hours tick away. I finished reading Little Bee at the Temptations Cafe in Berkeley Springs where I stopped for lunch. I listened to Chad on the radio for about a half hour while I was coming down Highway 81 in Virginia. Before long, the religious music station that shares the call numbers kicked in.

I was able to drive directly to my book club just in time for the Little Bee discussion. I clearly got the "I came the farthest" award. . .nobody could top 480 miles!!

Now I'm home and there will be a showing of this house tomorrow at noon. So I'm in the awkward (for me) position of having to keep the house spotless! Not easy to unpack from a three week trip and not get things messy. So I'll postpone getting Chester until tomorrow at 5:00.

Got my pictures off the camera. Here is my apartment for next summer!



Bottom floor, middle door under the flags! This is a quintessential Chautauqua house. Looking forward to spending 9 weeks there next year. But also looking forward to seeing how all this house stuff works out. And whether or not I'll go to Florida in a couple of weeks to watch the Space Shuttle go up! Stay tuned!

Chautauqua Farewell

It's Sunday afternoon. Our last church service was this morning. I've had a splendid "grown up" lunch at St. Elmo's (yes, the inspiration for the movie) with some friends (wine was involved), and I'm making a third trip to the car with "stuff." I'm hoping to wake up and walk out tomorrow very early.

The computer goes this trip. So suffice it to say that this evening's Sacred Song service of goodbye, and the ceremonial closing three taps of the gavel will not leave a dry eye in the house. I've been invited to the home of one of my choir buddies for a closing glass of wine. So all communications via computer will desist until I arrive home tomorrow (95+ degree heat predicted all week) late afternoon.

I'll probably keep blogging as I make my way through the selling of one house and the buying of another (not necessarily in that order) and then the rennovation. Also, there's my possible trip to Florida for the final space shuttle lift off in a few weeks. So stay tuned is you care to.

I'm off to the car, then to the movies (The Kids Are Alright) and then the final service. I need to drop a few things in the apartment for next year, and deliver my bike for winter storage. It's been a fabulous summer. You should all come up here. . . . no really.

Gobsmackingly Beautiful

This is a term used by someone to describe Chautauqua according to President Tom Becker's final weekly column in today's Chautauquan Daily. What a great description of this place. Tomorrow night is the ceremonial closing 3 taps of the gavel. . .according to Becker, "a reminder that the work we do here in these nine weeks is in service to the living of our lives throughout the year." These words are so true. I always come away from my time here with new learning to pursue, new ways of living to investigate. The idea to sell my house and live small was hatched last year at Chautauqua. I have read books I didn't think I'd ever read, attended lectures I never thought I'd be interested in, met people I never knew before, considered ideas I hadn't even heard of. The rest of my year is truly shaped by my time here. Supreme Court here I come, for example.

I LOVE my new bike! It was a glorious cool day and I rode off and on all day. I arose early enough to see Bill and Phyllis off this morning. I took my bike out to turner for my workout. The beauty of this, is after taking the "long way" to get there, I don't need to start my workout with 20 minutes on the treadmill. As a result, I got an extra long weight training today, and took the long way back on my bike. I'm going to love having this bike next year. And since my landlady was less than thrilled about my storing it in the apartment, good old Dave Lollis of DOC said he would store it there for the winter with all their bikes. How cool.

Things were very quiet, relatively today. I took my lawn chair out on Bestor Plaza to observe the traditional "bubbles in the fountain" which takes place on the last Saturday. Seeing the fountain looking like a giant bubble bath really brought home that the season is over. I sat out and read Little Bee. . .I'm half done with it. .liking it alot. I admit I had a Buckeye ice cream cone. I recently discovered Buckeye flavor ice cream. . . peanut butter ice cream with chocolate/peanut butter buckeye candies in it. Good thing I don't have access to that at home. Took a one hour nap after my work out and all the biking.

Walked a load of clothes up to the car. On the way back, caught the tram and took it once around the grounds for a final look. Gorgeous day!!!

Biked to choir practice. . .the last one. And then went to the Bob Newhart show. He was hilarious. I remember listening to his albums which my dad had when I was a little girl. He performed one of his classic routines from the first album: Driving Instructor. What a thrill to see that in person. He is 81 years old and still going strong.

Tomorrow is the morning service and the evening sacred song service. Between that I will go to the St. Elmo's restaurant on the grounds with one of my choir buddies. .first time eating there all summer.

What a gobsmackingly beautiful summer I have had!